09 December, 2003
category: RFID
Iowa Farm Bureau Spokesman Online
“The U.S. livestock industry is moving forward with plans to create a national animal identification system (ID) that can track livestock movements from birth to slaughter, a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) official said last week.”
The program will be a phased effort, starting with assigning unique IDs to livestock production facilities. Following:
“All livestock will receive unique individual ID numbers, beginning July 2005. In the case of pork and poultry, groups or lots will receive unique ID numbers. Animals will receive visible eartags featuring the ID numbers. Starting in July 2005, the system will use radio frequency identification devices (RFID) to electronically identify animals.”
All interstate movement of animals will be tracked by 2005, and all intrastate movement by 2006. The USDA hopes to reduce disease in animals by finding the source of outbreaks within two days.